Refugees

While the poem resists the naming of specific, singular characters, the majority of the people described throughout the text are representatives of various refugee populations. Thus, the poem overall gives a general portrait of the figure of the refugee. These refugees represent a wide range of people, all of whom are attempting to flee their home countries because of the inherent dangers in remaining there. While some of these asylum seekers flee by boat with their children, others travel for days in the backs of trucks, and crawl through deserts and under fences. Some are placed in refugee camps, while others are thrown in prison. Furthermore, some are raped, some are beaten, and some are verbally abused by xenophobes living in the countries they are entering.

In addition to the struggles the refugees face on their journeys, they are also unified by the conflicts they face in their...